In the case of dealing with depression/reducing anxiety (that used to be otherwise crippling), I began working with Ayahuasca twice a month, and then steadily increased to once a week. I feel like I would be at my best if I drank twice a week--interested very much in the positive brain chemistry that lingers after a journey--but life makes that difficult.
I was also smoking changa once a week, but after stumbling upon some very deep repressed pain from my earliest moments of life, I cannot proceed without a sitter. I would smoke more, but what I need to enter into dialogue with the molecule safely and to manage my real life just isn't present--so--I must wait. Until I have the support I need to get through it, regular trips are postponed, but in no way canceled indefinitely. Smoking changa also has an AMAZING positive impact on brain chemistry for me, as well.
Straight Caapi microdoses during the week, between journeys, also works wonders for mood elevation (but exercise scrutiny in combining drugs when doing this).
I love the medicine, and I depend on its grace; however, the medicine will shred me from the inside if I neglect any priority in my real life. Therefore, my need to return has spurred a constant improvement in myself. I can't neglect my real life, because it is a gift, as I was initially shown; and, never wanting to lose the grace of being able to appreciate my life this way (as a previous lifetime of depression made quite impossible), I have to do whatever it takes to return to the medicine. So, out of my love for this grace, an amazing upward spiral has been born.
Caapi without DMT is also MUCH, MUCH gentler... I always, always drink Caapi, but there are weeks when I skip the DMT. Even if I drink so much vine I just fall asleep, positive things are still happening in my body.
I don't want to just journey, I want to elevate my life to a more ecstatic baseline. I want to know what is possible. How IN BEING can I possibly be? Life *IS* the journey, and I spent 90% of mine missing that fact. Now, I feel like I'm making up for lost time. I want to be healthy, happy, lucid, aware, in touch with all levels of my being (body/mind/spirit), I want to sincerely connect with others and help them as much as I can, I want to make the world a better place... The medicine is great for inspiration. I want to share the inspiration. It is also an endless source of inspiration, and I want to know just how inspired I can become.